Rob Horne given inside running for No. 12 jersey after winning selection for Waratahs’ final trial

ROB Horne has rocketed into contention to win the most contentious jersey in the Waratahs’ squad.

ROB Horne has rocketed into contention to win the most contentious jersey in the Waratahs’ squad as coach Michael Cheika confirmed the 24-year-old would play at inside centre in their final trial match.

Horne will don the No.12 jersey against the Highlanders this Friday at Hunter Stadium, alongside five-eighth Kurtley Beale, himself a contender for the midfield position alongside Jono Lance and Adam Ashley-Cooper.

Beale will likely start in the No.10 jersey in the Waratahs’ last trial match before their Super Rugby season kicks off, with rival playmaker Bernard Foley training with the opposing squad at Moore Park on Monday.

While Cheika has been considering dual playmakers in the 10-12 channel with Foley and Beale, the hard-running Horne - who has started at outside centre in the previous two trial games against the Rebels and Blues - is a more aggressive option who can hold up defences with his straight lines.

News_Image_File: Horne is more likely to test the Highlanders’ defence at inside centre with his footwork than his hands.

Given the game in Newcastle is Cheika’s final chance to settle on his starting side before their season opener against Western Force on Sunday, February 23, Horne must deliver strongly if he is to win the starting spot for round one.

“I re-signed to NSW for one year to really feel like I could get absolutely everything out of myself and really continue to grow as a player and a person,” Horne said.

“Last year I had a lot of growth on the field and off the field, I sort of felt like I learned a lot about myself during last year, and about the group, and how groups work together in the context of rugby and away from the field.

“I really enjoyed that, and that is why I knew that if I gave myself another chance in 2014, I’d come back a better player and a better person.

“I feel like I’m in a good space, and certainly looking forward to getting everyting out of myself and the guys around me as well.

“Everyone brings their different personality to the position, it depends what type of team Cheik wants to go with and the chemistry that he feels best suits the team we’re about to play.”

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Cheika confirmed after training: “I’m definitely going to give Rob Horne an opportunity at No.12 this pre-season, he hasn’t had a run there yet, so he’ll play some time for sure [on Friday] at No.12, which was his position he was quite successful at last year.

News_Image_File: Bernard Foley during a Tahs training session.

“Obviously there is a squeeze on there, but we’ll just see how the different combinations we run on Friday go and then we’ll pick it.”

Beale ran the show from five-eighth during training on Monday with Horne and Ashley-Cooper in the centres, Cam Crawford and Peter Betham on the wings and Israel Folau at fullback in what appears to be the preferred starting backline against the Highlanders.

One player no longer in contention is their unlucky outside back Michael Hodge, who yesterday became the second NSW player ruled out for the season.

“It looks like he’ll be out for the year, he’s had a bad back since last year and it obviously hasn’t come good,” Cheika said.

“There’s a possibility he’ll have surgery.

“So that’s [Mitch] Chapman and Hodge now.”

Backrower Chapman suffered a split Achilles tendon that will sideline him for 2014.

Cheika said he would look to recruit replacements, and indicated they may come from the Waratahs’ under-20s squad or from a Shute Shield club.

News_Image_File: NSW coach Michael Cheika holds court with his Waratahs last season.

WARATAHS PLAYING NEW WEIGHTING GAME

THE Waratahs have introduced a revolutionary weight-training system previously used by NFL clubs to give them an edge over Super Rugby rivals this year.

NSW coach Michael Cheika revealed his squad is now using the “Sparta training” program which tailors weight training to specific individuals rather than groups.

“We’ve had a whole new strength regime this year, it’s designed to do a certain job, it’s probably not the traditional way of training around the lifts, it’s slightly different,” Cheika said.

“Hopefully it’s going to have some effect, we’ll see in the contact in the games.

“It designs a set of exercises that are in tune with getting the player to the strength pattern, or movement pattern, to the player we want in that position.

“It’s getting guys who are front rowers having the strength in the right places they need as front rowers, not maybe as generic around the lifts.

“It’s not a game-changer in itself, it’s a small part of the puzzle of continually making each player get to his best level at all different parts of the game.

“It’s not like ‘We’re going to win it with this’, but it’s something new, it’s progressive, I don’t think anyone else has used down here and it’s something the players are enjoying because they’re actually able to see the change in their body strength pattern.”

Cheika introduced the new program after listening to a pre-season proposal from his athletic development manager Haydn Masters and strength and conditioning coach Tom Tombleson.

“It’s different lifts, different types of equipment, we’re using a VersaPulley now, it’s very streamlined to the individual about what we want to change in that player,” Cheika said.

“We’re learning as we go too, because it’s been more American sports that it’s been used with.

“We’re using it to see if we can get the best profiles for rugby union players.

“NFL, NBA, baseball [have used it], it’s a sound format, the way you see you information come up in a graph format, it’s easier for the player to understand what it takes to improve these regions and why.”

Jamie Pandaram